(A)DD Under $15: Synthetic Kabuki Brush Set of 10 Makeup Brushes

They might not have sparkly, creatively decorated handles or fine, South American wild goat hair bristles, or even have a brand name that sounds like a brand name, but these are the top rated, number one bestselling makeup brushes on Amazon, and with a 4.5/5 average rating from over 1,200 happy customers, I think that they’re worth a second glance.

Ten brushes come in this set and the price is going to blow you away. It might even make you doubtful about the quality (which means you’re smart!). I was surprised to learn that many professional makeup artists proudly use these brushes in their professional kits, as well as at home. Some even said that they recommend them to their clients.

The ten brushes are an equal-ish mix of eye brushes and face brushes, with highlights being a round, tapered brush that I had no idea I wanted so badly. (Number 4 in the image from Amazon, below.) There are also some great stippling brushes and blending brushes.

Let me put this into perspective a little bit: if you bought the nearly-identical brushes from a MAC store, the total would be soul-crushing – more specifically, it would be between $200-$350. Not even kidding. These Sigma brushes, hailed as “affordable” and “inexpensive” by professional makeup artists, would run you about $180 for both the kabuki face brushes and the basic eye brush set.

After reading the reviews of this set, two thirds of which are overwhelmingly positive 5-star reviews, I have come to these conclusions:

Pros

These brushes are damn near shed-free, meaning they rarely lose bristles, if it at all.

They are exceptionally soft. The softness is what lead me to them in the first place, as I was looking for synthetic brushes with soft bristles and these were the “DUH.”

The bristles are soft, but dense. They’ll hold and place. color very well but blend really nicely, too.

The handles of each brush have a description of how you’re supposed to use them (or more specifically, where on the face and which product).

Cons

Sometimes, the handles fall off, but you can glue them back on and they’re just fine. (Actually, they’re better.)

They occasionally have a strong chemical smell when they initially arrive which can be off-putting, but according to several professional makeup artists who reviewed the brushes, that means they’re sterile which is a good thing. A quick wash in soapy water will get rid of the smell, and the pro makeup artists who commented said you should always wash your brushes before using them, so we’ll all pretend we always do that starting now.

I can live with those cons.

There are many other people who have stumbled upon these brushes and fallen in love with them, and a few of them even made helpful and informative YouTube reviews about them. Check out this one from Chelley Marie:

This, and the little bag it comes in, is a perfect starter kid, novice kit, or addition to a professional kit. Again, I’m astonished at how many professional makeup artists commented with high praise for such cheap brushes!

If you’re like me, maybe your New Year’s Resolution has something to do with finally learning how the hell to use all that makeup you impulse-bought recently. Thank goodness you bought it on clearance, right?

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